Westwood business owners work together to track down suspects in string of 5 overnight break-ins

WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A string of overnight break-ins at small businesses in Westwood has left owners on edge, forcing them to work together to help police track down the suspects. Could a distinct graphic on a hoodie be the answer? One owner thinks it might.

Authorities said they're searching for two suspects after a total of five businesses in the area were hit.

They targeted two businesses near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Sepulveda Avenue, and three businesses in the 1800 block of Westwood Boulevard.

One of the businesses was Mashti Malone's Ice Cream, which sits along Westwood Avenue and was hit around 2:30 a.m. The brazen smash-and-grab was all caught on camera.

"I am very glad it was after hours, so no one was here," said Mehdi Shirvani during an interview with Eyewitness News on Friday.

Surveillance video captured one of the suspects breaking the front door, hopping over the counter and ripping out the cash register before taking off.

"Police called me around 4:30 a.m.," said Shirvani. "I thought something like a fire when they said they were calling from the police department. The last thing I could think of is someone breaking into the ice cream store."

Shirvani said the suspects got away with about $300.

Another Westwood Boulevard business that was targeted was The Room Sushi Bar. Owner Kiat Soon said this isn't the first time it's happened.

In fact, he said they have been targeted at least five times. Even though the suspects didn't get away with anything overnight - they left behind a mess and pure frustration.

"We don't put the cash in here, they break in, they get nothing at least, but they break the glass," said Soon.

Meanwhile, right next door at Laziz Grill, there's the same story.

The suspects managed to break in and rummage through their cash register overnight as well. It's unclear if any money was taken.

Then there's an image of a hoodie that could help police.

Security footage from Easy Street Burgers in Studio City, which was one of two businesses targeted on April 17, shows a suspect wearing a dark-colored hoodie with a distinct graphic on the back.

In surveillance video from Laziz Grill, the suspect in that footage appears to have on the same hoodie.

The owner of Easy Street Burgers made the connection and contacted Laziz Grill after seeing Friday's news reports.

Despite the chaotic back-to-back break-ins, the outpouring of support for the impacted businesses are an unseen benefit.

"I say impact in a positive way, to be honest with you," said Shirvani. "We got so many calls from the neighborhood and from the customers who know us."

Meanwhile, anyone with information on the any of these break-ins is urged to call authorities.